Door-fastener.



No. 855,961. PATENTED JUNE 4,1907.

.M. D.'MERRING.

DOOR FASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.14, 1907.

hbm l n/ro ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PANT rrrcn DOOR-FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 4, .1907.

Ap li ati fil d January 14, 1907- Serial No- 352,160.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MANNING DRAKE MER- RING, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of East Stroudsburg, in the county of Monroe and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Door-Fastener, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention has for its object to provide means simple in construction, effective 1n operation and durable in use, adapted to securely fasten a door so as to prevent it from being opened from the outside. Such objects I accomplish by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which drawings like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the views, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device embodying my invention applied to a door; Fig. 2 is a side view of the device shown in Fig. 1 showing .in dotted lines the manner in which the locking device is operated; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the device shown in Fig. 2 with the parts folded together and not in use; and Fig. 4 is a plan of the device shown in Fig. 2.

As illustrated in the drawings, a base plate 1 is provided with an offset end 2 which is secured to the lower edge of the door by means of screws 3 or otherwise. Hinge lugs 4 are attached to the upper portion of the plate, to which is attached a brace by means of a hinge pin 5, the brace comprising sections 6 and 7 which are connected together by means of a hinge in 8 which is off-set from the longitudinal dine of the brace and engages lugs 9 and 10 formed on the adjacent ends of the brace sections. A spring 11 is connected at its ends with pins 12 attached to the lateral edges of the brace sectionsand is adapted to hold said sections in line with each other when extended, as shown in Fig. 2. When the sections of the brace are folded, as shown in Fig. 3, the spring 11 operates to hold the sections firmly together. A latch 13 is pivotally attached at one end to the brace sections 6 by means of a screw or rivet 14, and the opposite end of said latch is provided with a hook 15 adapted to engage a stud 16 secured to the lower section 7 of the brace. The lower end of said section is provided with teeth 1'7 adapted to be embedded into the floor of the room.

When the device is in use, it is locked in position by arranging the brace sections at an angle to each other, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, when the door is slightly ajar as indicated by the dotted lines 18. By pressing downward on the meeting ends of the sections of the brace by the foot or otherwise, the door is closed and the brace sections brought into alinement with each other. During such operation, the spring 11 is stretched as it passes the off-set hinge joint 8, and when the sections are brought in alinement with each. other the spring contracts and holds said sections firmly together. For this reason the latch 13 may be dispensed with, if desired, although in most instances I prefer to use such construction in connection with the spring.

The device is rendered inoperative when not in use by folding the lower section 7 against the upper section 6, as shown in Fig. 3, and as the spring 11 passes overthe hinge joint 8 it is stretched and again contracts, thereby pulling the brace sections firmly together.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A door fastener comprising brace sections, a hinged joint connecting said sections, and a spring having its ends attached to said sections and arranged at the edge thereof.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DRAKE MERRING.

MANNING Witnesses CHARLES C. LANE, WILLIAM T. OCoNNon. 

